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The History of the Future
2009 -''' The United States Air Force gives a research and development grant to Cyberdyne Systems and ZeiraCorp to develop an automated coordination system for a classified ballistic missile defense program. This system, dubbed Skynet, incorporates major advances in artificial intelligence. '''2011 April 21 Judgement Day Skynet is activated and, within 90 seconds, overrides five layers of safeguards. Four minutes later, it evades attempts to shut it down, and immediately seizes control of the entire American ICBM arsenal. While continuing to evade human efforts to disable it, Skynet electronically orders the launch of half of these ICBMs, exploiting a contingency designed for the event of a total decapitation of the American civilian and military chain of command. The initial targets are a mix of civilian and military sites in Russia and the People's Republic of China, both of which immediately retaliate against the United States. While the retaliatory missiles are in the air, Skynet overrides American military communications channels and issues false messages to key American allies (the UK and France), both to prompt them to use their own nuclear arsenals and to sow more confusion. The first goal is not reached (although when the Russian retaliation targets British and French cities, they respond in kind), but confusion is definitely achieved. Within 90 minutes of Skynet's activation, it has orchestrated the near-complete destruction of most major cities and military facilities in America, China and Russia, as well as several key sites in France and the UK and, soon, India. The chains-of-command in all six countries are completely disrupted, and only a handful of American officers are even aware of what is actually happening - most of these few are killed by Skynet's small force of armed drones. Global communications almost immediately break down, thanks to a combination of nuclear attacks, precision UCAV strikes on terrestrial targets and anti-satellite actions (American and Chinese alike). In the general confusion, individual military units of various countries launch attacks against what they assume to be the guilty parties, and the violence spreads as several countries attack neighbors over long-standing grievances (the Middle East is particularily hard hit). In those cities not hit by nuclear strikes, unrest soon spirals beyond the ability of police and military forces to control. April 22-24: Around the world, second strikes (primarily delivered from ballistic missile submarines) are exchanged until all delivery systems are either destroyed or run out of weapons. Skynet, making a critical strategic mistake, focuses on completely destroying the military capabilities of the major nuclear powers (Russia, China, India, the UK and France) instead of advanced non-nuclear countries such as Germany, Japan, Brazil and South Africa. Urban unrest reaches catastrophic proportions in many areas, adding to the chaos and destruction. In the United States, effective response is further hampered by the fact that all 18 government officials in the legal presidential line of succession are dead, along with the President himself, making the issue of who is now the President of the United States an extremely complicated question (there are six initial claimants, two of whom are killed in secondary nuclear strikes, two of whom swiftly concede, and two of whom continue to head regional 'administrations' until the total breakdown of their authority by the end of the year). By midnight, April 24, over three billion people are dead, with millions more to die in the coming weeks from starvation, violence or radiation sickness. Humanity's prospects are very dim. 2012 - In this year, Skynet begins the second phase of its extermination program, neccesary because humanity shows a stubborn refusal to commit self-extinction even after global nuclear war. Using automated factories, Skynet begins mass production of prototype Terminators (the T-200 line) as well as new designs of UCAVs that become known as Hunter-Killers. It also launches chemical and biological attacks on major urban areas untouched by Judgement Day, but soon exhausts the small American stockpiles it has access to. The first major human counter-attack, a nuclear strike delivered by the last few operational B-2 bombers, fails to eliminate Skynet, which by this time has spread beyond a single core processor into five seperate processors spread across the western United States. (Ironically, the destruction of the Internet limits Skynet to these few facilities, a limitation that will later prove fatal) 2013 - The First Resistance is organized. This group, nominally a UN force, is largely composed of surviving elements of the American, Chinese and Russian militaries. The Resistance high command is based on the USS New Mexico, the last American nuclear attack submarine built before Judgement Day. A five-man General Staff directs overall Resistance strategy, although the scattered nature of the Resistance forces makes this authority more nominal than real. The first General Staff consists of General Stephen Ashdown, General Dimitri Losenko, Admiral Bao Duxiu, General Pierre Marchand and Admiral Christopher Manning. '2015 '- Skynet designs the T-600, the first attempt at a human imitation Terminator. Their skin covering is very rubbery and artifical in appearance, rendering them generally ineffective as infiltrators. They are still deadly and remain in service for many years after more advance models are produced. Kyle and Derek Reese are captured by Skynet forces and imprisoned in Century Work Camp outside of Los Angeles. '2016 '- Skynet uses an intricate deception scheme to locate and destroy the USS New Mexico. The loss of High Command comes just as it was beginning to assume a genuinely global leadership role, and sets back the overall Resistance effort by several years. Regional leaders take up the slack while a new chain of command is very fitfully worked out. '2017 '- The first of Skynet's Grey Brigades, human collaborators in service to the machine, are deployed in low-priority sectors. The Grey Brigades suffer tremendously high casualties, and less than four percent captured by the Resistance survive. Despite this, they remain active until near the end of the war (as do, more effectively, individual Greys working as technicians or engineers for Skynet). '2018 '- The first T-800s are produced. Using a new organic skin, they are visually indistinguishable from humans and prove to be an incredibly effective weapon in the first few months of their service. It takes more than a year for the simple detection technique of canine sniffers to be discovered and reach widespread use. '2021 '- The Reese brothers escape from Century Work Camp and join the 132nd Division. Lead by General Perry, the 132nd, or Southland, is responsible for Resistance activities in the Greater Los Angeles Area. 2023 - The 132nd Division, reinforced by units from as far away as Las Vegas and Seattle, launches a major offensive to gain control of the Serrano Point nuclear power station in Avila Beach. Despite the reinforcements, the Resistance campaign fails and suffers serious casualties. The Southern California Resistance is limited to ambushes and minor raids while it attempts to rebuild. '2025 '- TechCom specialists discover a method to reprogram captured Terminators and turn them on Skynet forces. Several Resistance units split off rather than fight alongside 'tame' Terminators. '2026 '- General Perry is killed by a malfunctioning reprogrammed Terminator. Command of the 132nd passes to Lt. General Brady Lutali. '2027 '- The Present Day.